Universal Journal of Geoscience 8(3): 54-67, 2020 http://www.hrpub.org DOI: 10.13189/ujg.2020.080302 Contribution of X-Ray Diffraction in the Identification of Crystalline Phases of the Mineralization Hosted in the Mesozoic Cover of the Tazzeka Hercynian Massif – Maghrawa Region - Morocco Naoufal Saoud1,2,*, Issam Derkaoui3,4, Jaouad Choukrad1,2, Mohamed Amine El Moussalim2, 2 Mohamed Charroud 1Laboratory of Intelligent Systems, Georesources & Renewable Energies (SIGER), Faculty of Science and Technology of Fez, Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah University- Fes, Morocco 2Department of Research & Development – ATLAS MINING, 03 Street Ait Ourir, BD Mly Youssef, Csablanca, Morocco 3Laboratory of Solid State Physics, Group of Nanomaterials and Renewable Energies, Faculty of Sciences Dhar el Mahraz, University Sidi Mohammed Ben Abdellah, PO Box 1796, Atlas, Fez, 30 000, Morocco 4Africa Graphene Center, Department of Physics, Eureka Building, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, Science Campus, University of South Africa, Cnr Christiaan de Wet & Pioneer Avenue Florida, 1709, Johannesburg, South Africa Received June 26, 2020; Revised October 20, 2020; Accepted October 30, 2020 Cite This Paper in the following Citation Styles (a): [1] Naoufal Saoud, Issam Derkaoui, Jaouad Choukrad, Mohamed Amine El Moussalim, Mohamed Charroud , "Contribution of X-Ray Diffraction in the Identification of Crystalline Phases of the Mineralization Hosted in the Mesozoic Cover of the Tazzeka Hercynian Massif – Maghrawa Region - Morocco," Universal Journal of Geoscience, Vol. 8, No. 3, pp. 54 - 67, 2020. DOI: 10.13189/ujg.2020.080302. (b): Naoufal Saoud, Issam Derkaoui, Jaouad Choukrad, Mohamed Amine El Moussalim, Mohamed Charroud (2020). Contribution of X-Ray Diffraction in the Identification of Crystalline Phases of the Mineralization Hosted in the Mesozoic Cover of the Tazzeka Hercynian Massif – Maghrawa Region - Morocco. Universal Journal of Geoscience, 8(3), 54 - 67. DOI: 10.13189/ujg.2020.080302. Copyright©2020 by authors, all rights reserved. Authors agree that this article remains permanently open access under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0 International License Abstract Geological Research and prospection, samples were subjected for two kind of geochemical mining exploration, remote sensing, geochemical methods, analysis, when the first consists to the determination of and geophysical technologies could improve the mineral tenors using Inductive Coupled Plasma (ICP), and effectiveness and productivity of mineral exploration and the second corresponds to the examination of samples by ore identification. The application of these kinds of powder X-Ray Diffraction (XRD) methods in order to technologies presents the key factor of the future mining provide useful information about sample composition in discoveries across the world. In this paper, we present the terms of quantification of crystalline phases and content. In case study that consists to the use of geological this work, we make in evidence the existence of remarkable investigation, remote sensing and geochemical studies in mineralization of base and precious metals. These results order of describing and determinizing the mineral fraction may present an economic discovery in term of the occurred in the Liasic series of Tazekka that manifests as potentiality of the Liasic cover of Tazekka for the mining carbonates cover of the Hercynean basement of the eastern exploration. Mesetean domain of Morocco. In fact, the followed procedure assigns the handling of remote sensing maps Keywords Technology, Mineral, Exploration, Remote related to the area study, where we focus the hydrothermal Sensing, Hercynean, Tazekka, Morocco, ICP, XRD alteration whichever allows the determination of selective and representative sample stations. Note that the collected Universal Journal of Geoscience 8(3): 54-67, 2020 55 1. Introduction hercynean basement [9]. The Triassic serie starts with two formations of red argillites separated by a volcanic The Zone study is located into northeast of the formation [3]. The lower and upper Triassic argillites show Hercynean basement of Tazekka massif, based in the a huge hydraulic fracturing. The Lower Lias assigns three northeast end of the Middle Atlas of Morocco, and formations where the lowest consists of fine, massive, and especially in the Mesozoic cover that outcrops SW of Taza dark dolomites [4]. (Fig. 1). In the Tazekka, the mineralization occurs in the The middle, presents a series of dolomitic breccias, Hercynean massif, as veins, and stratiform in the Liasic laminated dolomites and crystalline dolomites, and the cover [2-4]. The basement, appears as a lower Ordovician upper formation consists of pale grey, fine-grained epimetamorphic schists, surmounted by volcano limestone and dark grey limestone with oolitic and sedimentary complex dated Upper Visean–Namurian bioclastic intervals [3]. The Middle Lias consists of a series [5-7]. of interbedded limestones and marls, however, the Upper Note that magmatic rocks as kind of granite and Lias–Aalenian and Lower Bajocian are generally marly [3]. microdiorite, are generally enclosed by an aureole of In the Middle Atlas Causse domain, there's an contact metamorphism [8]. unconformity between the lower Lias and upper formations The Mesozoic formations are represented by Triassic of the center and upper Lias. and Liassic rocks (Fig. 1), resting in discordance on the Figure 1. Geographical position of the Zone study situated in the north east of Tazekka, with its geological maps (Geological map of Rif 1/ 500 000, [1]) and stratigraphy 56 Contribution of X-Ray Diffraction in the Identification of Crystalline Phases of the Mineralization Hosted in the Mesozoic Cover of the Tazzeka Hercynian Massif – Maghrawa Region - Morocco The Liassic platform of the Tazekka contains some Pb– unrecognized in terms of mineral exploration and Zn and Fe deposits, whose distribution is controlled by geological prospecting and research. paleogeography and structure. The mineralization is found In this work, we will focus in a first order the lower liasic along the basin margin and it is related to dolomitization brecciated dolomitic zones [18] dated hettangian, which [10,11]. It shows a straight paragenesis, essentially based may contain some showings of base or precious metal sphalerite and galena, with small amounts of pyrite and mineralization, and which may give us an idea about the chalcopyrite. Sulfides occur in places and commonly form close relation between these mineralization and the buried massive aggregates hosted by both hydrothermal dolomite Hercynian basement, which is granitized, metamorphosed and saddle dolomite [12,13]. The deposits are globally and mineralized (Pb, Zn, Sb, Ag, Au, Sn, W, Fe…..) [19]. stratiform (Ain Hallouf, Ben Zerhla, Ain Tarselt, Ain Khebbab and Bou Khalifa) or open-space filling (Sidi Abdellah), and are located along the borders of grabens 2. Methods & Characterization formed within the Middle Atlas Causse domain during the major Middle Atlas Toarcian– Bathonian tectonic event In this paper, we have based our work on the spatial [9,14,15]. The presence of breccias, layered sediments and mapping of hydrothermal alterations in the Maghrawa area fragments confirms the karstic character of the via remote sensing [20,21] (Fig. 2). Indeed, it is on the mineralization. In the Lias cover, the mineralization seems basis of this mapping that we have targeted the potential to be occurred during two phases: first, the Carixian and so zones in terms of hydrothermal alteration. We carried out the Toarcian (Auajjar, 1994). Indeed, and based on all these selective sampling of breccea, from which five samples arguments already cited, it appears that the major part of were taken and designed for Geochemical and petrographic the mineralization detected in the Mesozoic Tazekka cover analyses. is stratiform, hosting Pb-Zn ores, that take an MVT form All the samples were analyzed using inductively coupled [16,17]. However, because it is clear that the geological plasma analytical techniques for measuring the levels of and geodynamical contexts of the area is remarkable in inorganic elements in the samples (ICP: Inductive Coupled term of mining wealth, we notice that the area is yet Plasma) [22,23]. Figure 2. Geographycal position of the study in Maghrawa region, showing the location of the sample stations, and observation stations Universal Journal of Geoscience 8(3): 54-67, 2020 57 To ensure an optimal characterization, all the samples Based on the geological context/geochemical content, were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma analytical we investigate the crystalline phases and structures of the technics for measuring the levels of inorganic elements in five samples, by using the techniques of crystallographic the samples, while XRD (X-Ray Diffraction) [24] patterns analysis by X-ray diffraction. were obtained from X'Pert High Score Report using Cu Kα (λ=1.54178 Å), 2 mode was used to scan all the samples 3.2. Structural Properties in the range of 30° ~ 60° with the step of 0.02° and the stay time is 2~3 θs. Finally, to investigate the surface and 3.2.1. Structural Properties of SS01 morphology of the samples, Scanning Electron X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns were used to Microscopy (SEM) analyses were carried out on a FEI investigate the phases and structures of our five extracted Quanta 200 microscope. Each sample is placed on a copper samples. The XRD pattern of the as-prepared sample